Maharashtra set to have 68% reservation ! Hail Politics Where will the General Go?

In one of its kind of decision, the Maharashtrian assembly cleared an additional 16% reservation for the Maratha community. After implementation, Maharashtra will have 68% reservation. This is clearly 18 percent more than the guidelines laid by the Supreme Court of India. Earlier this year, the Marathas, a politically affluent community started agitations for inclusion to the backward community. The government too agreed to the demands. The agitations which started with silent marches and gradually turned violent. Although, the bill is yet to be cleared in the Upper house, there are no obstructions visible.

Is it not strange to hear that such a prosperous state of the nation houses most number of backward?

The question then arises how is it the wealthiest state of the nation. Is it not a failure on the part of the governments that a community which ruled the state for almost a century, the community to which many veteran politicians belong now stands amongst the backward.

Reservation in Maharashtra: Is giving a fixed quota of seats in education and government jobs, the only way to uplift the social status of people. And if that is so, what about those who have been starving for generations altogether but are deprived of any such reservations just because they do not belong to a particular community.
We are of the view that the weak and deprived sections surely need more privileges to join the mainstream. However, the approach being used to identify these sections does not seem to be justified.

It was meant to socially and economically uplift the oppressed sections of the society. But these days it is used more as a political tool. And the usage is bi-directional. The politicians lure the communities for votes and citizens use it to pressurize the politicians during elections. But does it achieve social equality? .We can launch indigenous Mars Orbiter Mission, but we cannot achieve quality education for all. Is reservation the only way out to get admission to prestigious colleges and get selected to reputed government jobs? Does the socially upward but economically backward section require no attention from the government?